Sin
by Shido21
Summary: An attempt at taking the FFX characters out of Spira and into our world. Centered around Auron, but all the main characters are important to the story. Rated R due to gang references and violence. Please R&R.
1. Five Years Ago

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X or the characters from it. They belong to Squaresoft. I also don't own any brand names mentioned in this story they belong to their respective companies.

Author's note: Well, this is my attempt at taking the characters out of Spira and putting them in our world. The idea wouldn't leave my head and so I was forced to write it down. I just hope that everyone enjoys it. Auron is the main character yet again, but the story will have all the main characters from Final Fantasy X including Yunalesca and Kinoc. Please ignore any grammar errors in the story. Sometimes I will have time to edit and other times I will not. I hope you enjoy it. Please review and please no flaming. Constructive criticism is welcome though. Thanks.

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Chapter One: Five Years Ago

The man walked to the black Jaguar, parked next to the curb in front of his apartment. A strong, crisp wind tore at his red trench coat as he walked, his black hiking boots eliciting an echoing _clunk_ in the chill night air. He pulled his coat closed as a rather powerful blast of wind tried to tear it off. 

He was glad when he reached the warm comfort of his car. After starting the car, he quickly turned on the heat. It's warmth steamed up his sunglasses. He leaned back against the seat and flipped on the radio. Kinoc was running late. He glanced in the rear-view mirror, checking to see if the large man was on his way or not. A tired man with a scarred right eye stared back at him, instead. He sighed and looked away from his reflection. His good eye narrowed at what he heard on the radio.

__

The infamous gang called Sin has struck again at Bevelle Academy near First Street Park. Police arrived to find North Dorm burning.

The man's eye widened. 

__

Luckily, none of the students were injured. No arrests were made. The students were moved to one of the other dorms for the weekend until North Dorm can be repaired. 

For those of you who haven't heard of Sin, Sin is anti-religion gang that has been known to attack churches and schools that have a religious affiliation. The police have been tracking down this group for five years now and are having great difficulty finding their leader. In fact, five years ago…

The man flipped off the radio. A bang on his window made him jump. He looked up to see Kinoc's pudgy, bearded face grinning at him through the glass. The man rolled down the window.

"Sorry I'm late, Auron." Kinoc's smile faded. "I was watching the news." 

Auron nodded. "I know," he said, his tone as dark as his sunglasses. "Get in the car."

Kinoc strode over to the passenger side, rubbing his hands before he entered the Jaguar. 

"I'm glad Yuna's ok," he said awkwardly, staring down at the floor, his gloved hands playing with his green wool coat.

Auron looked at him a moment then stared out the windshield. "Hm," he muttered to the affirmative. "Let's go," he said softly, shifting the car into drive. 

Kinoc looked up. "Yes, let's go have some fun."

Auron groaned inwardly, as he pulled the car out onto the deserted street. Kinoc always had a knack for getting him in trouble. He briefly wondered what trouble that would be tonight. 

"There's a nice Blues place downtown," Kinoc said, his eyes twinkling when he saw Auron stiffen. "I thought you might like that."

Auron's eye narrowed. "What is it Kinoc? What have you done now?" 

"Can't I do something nice for a dear friend every once in a while and not be guilty of something?" Kinoc asked, in mock hurt tones. 

A small smile touched Auron's lips. "No." 

Kinoc lowered his head. "Unfortunately you are right this time, my friend. But I will tell you about it when we get to the club. For now let me tell you about this place."

Auron nodded, his grip on the steering wheel tightening involuntarily as they neared an old rundown factory. He stared straight ahead as they passed it and left the slums. Kinoc didn't seem to notice his friend's discomfort. He chattered on about the band that was playing at the club and the kind of food they served there. Every once in a while he would direct Auron in the right direction. Five minutes later they were parked in a dark parking lot outside an average sized building with a bright blue neon sign that read "The Raven."

The place didn't look too bad to Auron as they walked towards the door. It wasn't the usual rundown bars that Kinoc loved to drag him to. When they reached the door Kinoc handed a well-built man some money and they were led in. 

The interior was dim and smoky. There were small lights suspended from the ceiling above each table and at the back of the room was a stage. On the stage a lone man sat on a stool and played slide guitar. A sigh escaped Auron. The bar was in the left-hand corner of the room and that is where Kinoc led his friend. 

"I'll have some spaghetti and a Bud Light please," Kinoc said. He glanced at Auron. "What'll you have? I'm buying."

"Sake," he said softly.

Kinoc raised an eyebrow. "Are you not hungry?"

Auron shook his head. Kinoc ordered the drink and handed over the money to pay for it. The bartender slid a mug, an Asian cup and a tokkuri over to Kinoc. Kinoc handed the tokkuri to Auron. 

Auron grasped the jug and followed Kinoc to a small booth near the stage. 

"Is it that bad?" Auron asked, eyeing the jug once they were seated. 

Kinoc stared down at his drink and nodded.

"Out with it," Auron said impatiently, pouring the sake into the small cup. 

Kinoc sighed. "The department wants you back, Auron," he said softly. "They need your help with this case. You're the only one who knows anything about Sin."

Auron's eye narrowed as he drank. 

Kinoc shifted uncomfortably under the man's glaring eye. "You teach at the school that keeps getting hit. You know this group better than any of us."

Auron lowered the cup to the table. "I don't work for the department anymore," he said, his voice dead calm.

"There's something special about the case this time," Kinoc said, his voice hushing as a waitress dropped off his food. When she left he continued. "We know who the leader and second command are."

Auron's grip on the cup tightened. 

Kinoc lowered his head, hesitating. "Auron, it's Jecht. I don't know how or why, but he is the second in command now." The cop looked up and met Auron's eye. The only sign of emotion on the man's face was his clenched jaw. 

"He is dead," Auron said, in that same dead calm voice. 

Kinoc slid a picture across the table to Auron. "This was taken last week after one of the attacks on the school."

Auron looked down at the picture and closed his eye. A scruffy brown haired man stood next to a red convertible, cigarette tucked in the side of his mouth, his arm around a burly dark skinned man.

"We have a few theories as to how your partner is still alive," Kinoc said, trying to ignore the pain etched on his friend's face. "None of them are pleasant."

Auron slid the picture back across the table. Kinoc was shocked to see that he wasn't surprised.

Kinoc's eyes narrowed. "You know something that you aren't letting on."

Auron filled his cup back up and stared down at it, remaining silent. 

Suddenly Kinoc gripped his friend's arm. "You know that it is an offence to withhold information from the police."

Auron sighed. "Look up the name Seymour Hitowari and you will know everything that I know." Still no emotion showed in his voice. 

Kinoc's eyes widened. "Seymour Hitowari? Isn't he the..." He stopped as the realization washed over him.

Auron downed the entire cup in one gulp. "Yeah, he is the owner of Bevelle Academy."

Kinoc studied his friend. "How long have you known this?"

Auron looked in Kinoc's eyes and then returned his gaze to his cup.

"I see. Why didn't you say anything?" Kinoc asked gently.

"The same reason he shouldn't have said something now," a low voice boomed from behind them. 

An extremely large black man moved to stand next to Auron, blocking his way out of the booth. Auron calmly set his cup down and looked up at the man. 

"Who are you?" Kinoc asked, slipping his hand to his coat, which sat on the booth next to him. He had a feeling that "Brutus" here would be trouble. 

Suddenly the man's hand darted to Auron's throat to lift him up in the air. "I wouldn't if I were you, not unless you want to shoot your friend."

Auron was clinging to the man's wrist. His feet dangled a good half a foot off the floor. Kinoc slid his hand back up where the man could see it. Auron wasn't about to go down so easily. He let go of the man's wrist, feeling his windpipe creak as he did so. He pulled his arm back and punched the man in the solar plexus. The man dropped him and immediately punched at him. Auron sidestepped, and outside inside blocked, knocking his opponent's arm away. He then side-kicked the man in the stomach, sending him falling backwards into a table. The impact knocked the man out cold. 

Auron griped the table as he choked. He felt Kinoc's hand on his shoulder. 

"Are you ok, my friend?" 

Auron nodded. "What are we going to do with him?" he rasped.

Kinoc's eye narrowed at the tone of voice Auron used. "Arrest him, why?"

Auron shook his head and coughed again. 

"We're also going to get you to a hospital," Kinoc said, slipping his hand to Auron's shoulder. 

Auron stiffened. "I'm fine, Kinoc."

Kinoc suddenly started laughing. 

Auron raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Kinoc grinned. "You. You never change. You are always fine even if your arm is falling off and no matter how tough a fight you get in your sunglasses never fall off your face."

"Hmph," Auron snorted, pushing his sunglasses up his nose, which caused Kinoc to burst out laughing again. 

Auron rolled his eye and walked over to the large dark skinned man. His eyes were rolled in the back of his head, showing the whites. Auron kneeled next to him and checked his pulse. Suddenly a hand grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back. Auron slammed into the wall, the wind knocked out of him. The large man stood up, grinning.

"You think it is that easy to beat me?" he asked, cracking his knuckles. 

Kinoc slipped to his gun and aimed it at "Brutus" yelling, "Freeze!"

The thug stopped in his tracks. Auron stumbled to his feet and moved away from the man, coming to stand next to Kinoc. 

"Brutus" faced the two of them. "You really gonna shoot me?" he asked, stepping forward. 

Kinoc cocked the gun. "Don't try me," he said, his voice cold. 

"You're bluffing," the large man said, taking another step.

Auron looked at his friend. Kinoc's hand shook ever so slightly. "Hand me the gun, Kinoc," Auron said softly.

Kinoc stared at his friend in shock. Suddenly the large man roared and charged Kinoc, ramming into him and knocking him into a table near the stage. The musician had long ago stopped playing and had fled to the backstage room. 

The dark-skinned man had his back to Auron. Auron slipped up behind him and wrapped his arm around the man's throat. "Brutus" straightened which lifted Auron off his feet. Auron tightened his grip on the man's throat and heard him choke. The thug's air had been completely cut off. He suddenly started to back up towards the wall and then slammed Auron against it. Auron grunted in pain, but didn't lose his grip. The man slammed him again. Auron continued to cling to him. This time "Brutus" got a running start and slammed back against the wall. Auron felt a rib crack and let go, falling to the floor. 

By now Kinoc had recovered from his attack and stood, searching for his gun. Finding it, he grabbed it and faced the big man. The thug was facing Auron, who was sitting on the floor, holding his ribs. The man lifted his foot up getting ready to kick Auron. Kinoc pulled the trigger. Blood splashed on Auron and "Brutus" fell backwards to the floor, dead.

Kinoc ran over to Auron. "Are you ok?" he asked, helping him stand. 

Auron wiped the blood off of his face with his sleeve. "Yeah," he muttered. 

They walked over to the dead man. Kinoc faced Auron. "Who was he?" he asked, eyeing his friend carefully.

Auron shrugged and walked back to their table. He took one last sip of his sake and left the bar. Kinoc sighed. He pulled his coat back on and shook his head. Such as a waste of good food. He walked up to the bartender, handing him some money. "For the damages," he muttered. "Please call the police. Tell them Kinoc will file a full report in the morning."

The bartender nodded and Kinoc left the bar.

Auron was leaning against his car, staring down at the ground. Kinoc strode up to him and slammed him into the car. Auron gasped as his rib protested. 

"You want to tell me what the hell just happened?" Kinoc snapped. "We both nearly lost our lives to that tub of lard, so don't tell me you don't know anything."

Auron met Kinoc's eye. "Please let go of me." His voice held a dangerous tone that Kinoc had never heard before. Kinoc released him. Auron walked around to the driver's side door and unlocked it, slipping inside the car. He unlocked Kinoc's door and Kinoc slid in. 

"I don't know who that was, but I have my guesses," Auron said, surprising Kinoc. 

"Yeah, I guessed he worked for Seymour," Kinoc said, eyeing Auron. "Tell me, why didn't you say something about Seymour when you found out?"

Auron turned on the car. The heat blew out of the vents, taking a while to warm up. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards Kinoc's house. 

"By the time that I found out about Seymour, I was offered the job at the school," Auron said softly, keeping his eye focused on the road. "Seymour made me promise not to tell anyone or I would lose my job. I can't afford that because it would leave Yuna and Tidus (Jecht's son) open to Seymour's attacks."

Kinoc nodded. "So, I was right in thinking that you wanted that man dead."

Auron's eye narrowed and he stiffened.

Kinoc chuckled. "It's ok, my friend. It's understandable."

"Hmph," Auron snorted, scanning the road before he turned onto their home street. 

Kinoc slipped his hand to Auron's shoulder. "You can just drop me off at your place. I could use a walk after what happened."

Auron glanced at him quickly. "You are sure?" 

"Yes," Kinoc said, chuckling again. "Besides, I have a nice long report to think about."

Auron sighed.

Kinoc looked at him. "It's ok. I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

Auron smirked. "Yeah I guess if you count getting half beaten to death fun."

Soon, they were stopped in front of Auron's apartment saying their good byes. After Kinoc left, Auron faced his home and was shocked to see a light on inside. Steeling himself, he walked to the door. 


	2. Epiphany

****

Chapter Two: Epiphany

Author's note: Sorry that this took so long. I have just been really busy and distracted. I am glad that you are enjoying the story so far. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I still want to edit it some, but I figured I should post it for now, so that I won't keep you in suspense anymore. Thanks for reading.

****

"Epiphany"

Your words to me just a whisper

Your face's so unclear

I try to pay attention

Your words just disappear

'Cause it's always raining in my head

Forget all the things I should have said

So I speak to you in riddles because

My words get in my way. I smoke the

whole thing to my head and feel it

wash away 'cause I can't take anymore

of this, I want to come apart

or dig myself a little hole inside

your precious heart

'Cause it's always raining in my head

Forget all the things I should have said

I am nothing more than a little boy inside

That cries out for attention

though I always try to hide

'Cause I talk to you like children,

Though I don't know how I feel

But I know I'll do the right thing

If the right thing is revealed

'Cause it's always raining in my head

Forget all the things I should have said

-Staind

"Auron?" a female voice called out tentatively.

Auron tensed then relaxed as he saw Yuna's slender form walk to the doorway of the living room to his right. She was wearing faded blue jeans and a baggy tan sweater. She smiled at him, but he could see in her mismatched eyes that she was shaken up. Suddenly she ran to him and gave him a bear hug. He winced, but waited patiently for her to release him. 

After a moment she did and Auron saw tears in her blue and green eyes as she looked up at him. "Why?" she asked, lowering her head to hide her tears. "Why did they do this?"

Auron turned his back on her. He didn't need this right now. Why was it everyone thought he had the answers? His voice was gentle when he spoke: "I don't know, Yuna. I wish I did." With that said he walked towards the den in the back of his apartment. He felt Yuna follow. 

"How was your night?" she asked, forcing a smile. 

Auron kept his back to her as he pulled off his coat and tossed it on a couch that was shoved against the back wall of the room. "I need you to do something for me," he said, facing her and meeting her eyes. 

"What is it?" Yuna asked, full of curiosity. By now she was used to him never answering her questions. 

"Call Tidus. There is something I must tell the both of you." Auron sat carefully on the couch next to his coat.

Yuna bowed, as was her custom, and left. Auron could hear her dialing the number in the kitchen on his cordless phone. He pulled his sunglasses off and set them down on the coffee table in front of him. 

"He's on the way," Yuna called from the kitchen. She entered the den shortly after to find Auron missing. "Auron?" 

She walked from the den out into the hallway and saw the bathroom door shut, confirming her suspicions of Auron's whereabouts. 

* * *

Inside the bathroom, Auron sat on the toilet lid pulling tape over his broken rib. When he was done he stood and walked over to the sink. God he was tired. He looked in the mirror and what he saw confirmed that thought. An old man with grey patches in his black hair to match the deep lines in his face looked back. His one good eye was a deep brown and was slightly sunken. His mouth was pulled in a perpetual frown and there was a crease between his eyebrows. Thirty-five and already an old man. 

He sighed. Turning the faucet on, he splashed his face with some cold water. Considering himself prepared for the upcoming battle, he turned the light off and exited the bathroom.

* * *

Tidus and Yuna were sitting in their guardian's spacious living room. A small entertainment center was pushed against the wall across from the couch, a window behind it. An easy chair rested in a corner of the room and a bookshelf took up part of the back wall. On either side of the couch were end tables and in front of the sofa was a glass coffee table. 

"What's going on, Yuna? Why does Auron want me here?" Tidus asked, leaning back against the soft cushions of Auron's sofa. 

Yuna's hand slipped into Tidus'. "I'm not sure. He didn't tell me," she said, studying him to see if he was about to get in one of his typical fights with Auron. 

Tidus shook his head. "That's Auron for you."

Yuna smiled. Booted footsteps stopped her from saying anything else. Her stomach clenched when she looked up at her guardian. Auron looked extremely tired and there was a tenseness to him that caused a wave of fear to wash over her. He didn't make eye contact with them when he entered the room, simply stared ahead. Suddenly, Tidus sprang from his seat to grab the man by the lapels of his black work shirt. 

"You want to tell me why I am sitting here at two o' clock in the morning when I have to be up at six for practice?" Tidus snapped, shaking Auron.

A bitter smile crossed Auron's face. 

"Tidus, calm down," Yuna said, standing.

Tidus backed off and came to stand next to Yuna. She gestured for the two of them to sit. 

"Please Auron, tell us what is going on." She spoke calmly, meeting his eye, playing the peacemaker as usual. She had a bad feeling about this. 

He turned from them and walked over to the window, leaning against the wall beside it. Outside, the wind had picked up and tore at the branches of the trees. Occasionally a flash of lightning would light up the sky. Yuna sensed that change was coming and she had a feeling it wasn't for the better.

"It's about my father isn't it?" Tidus asked suddenly, looking down at his hands. 

Auron gripped the windowsill. "Yes," he said softly.

Tidus looked up at the back of the man who had watched over him for the past five years. "Did they find his body?" 

Auron turned around slowly to face them. "So to speak." He hesitated for a moment, looking down at the floor for a second. When he lifted his head Yuna was shocked to see his eye darken. "Sin has found a way to bring back the dead."

Tidus jumped to his feet. "What?!"

Auron turned away slightly. He looked over his shoulder at them. "Jecht's body has been revived."

"No way," Tidus snapped, clenching his fist. 

Yuna stood beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Is Jecht alive now?" she asked, only slightly feeling the hope her voice hinted at.

Auron looked away. "No. He is a mere puppet," he said, clenching his fist.

Tidus broke away from Yuna and stormed towards Auron. "I don't believe you. My father is dead," he nearly shouted, stomping his foot and making a slashing motion with his hand to emphasize his words.

Auron faced him and met his eyes. "Your father _is_ dead, but his body isn't."

Tidus lowered his head. Yuna sympathized. She could imagine what she would feel like if it were her own father they were talking about. 

"How is that possible?" Tidus asked, dejectedly brushing his blond hair out of his face.

"I don't know," Auron said darkly, walking away.

"Wait," Tidus called after him, reaching a hand out as if to stop him.

Auron stopped in the doorway, his back to the young man. 

"Why would they bring him back?" Tidus asked softly. "Is it to get back at you?"

Auron met his eyes for a moment and then walked away.

"Uh huh, I thought so," Tidus muttered, staring down at his yellow sneakers. 

Yuna slipped up beside him and slid her hand into his. She hated seeing him this down and she wanted to show him that he had her full support. The gesture seemed to surprise him at first, but soon he gripped her hand back, turning his head enough so that she could see the small smile that crossed his face. 

"How can he be so calm?" Tidus said, lifting his head and clenching his fist.. 

She had only seen this moody side of Tidus twice in her life. Once was at the funeral of his father five years ago and the other was at the funeral of his mother a year later. Yuna felt his pain. Her own father had died in that horrible incident from five years ago. One thing that comforted her was the thought that she wasn't the one who had seen them die. She often wondered how Auron dealt with what had happened.

"I don't think Auron is as calm as he is trying to make us believe," Yuna said, moving to stand in front of Tidus, trying to make some form of eye contact with him. "Did you see the look in his eye?"

Tidus nodded, causing his unruly blond hair to slip into his face. He brushed it away in annoyance. "Why can't the man ever show any emotion? Would it kill him?"

"That is probably his way of dealing with what happened," Yuna said calmly.

Tidus looked up at her and gave her a half smile. "You're probably right. I'm just afraid to think of what they are going to do to my old man's body."

Yuna's eyes darkened. She had a good guess and it didn't bode well for any of them. "Me too," she said softly. 

"Tidus," a rough voice spoke from the hallway. "Go back to your dorm and get some rest."

Tidus glared at Auron. "Like I can now," he snapped.

Auron's eye narrowed. "Go. Your father wouldn't want you passing out at practice."

Tidus sighed. "Ok." He turned to Yuna and forced a smile. "Good night Yuna and thank you."

Yuna smiled back. "You're welcome," she said, bowing. 

Tidus left, glaring at Auron as he passed. Yuna saw a look of sympathy briefly cross their guardian's face. He looked at her for a moment and then walked back towards the den. Yuna sighed. What an interesting family they were. Her eyes darkened at the thought. Jecht was alive, or at least his body was, and he was going to be used by Sin, probably to get back at Auron. She needed a nice, strong mug of hot tea. As she went through the steps of making the drink she pondered more on how this news could be affecting Tidus. 

Tidus had never really gotten along with his father. A year before he died, though, the two had started to see eye-to-eye and even enjoy one another's company. That was probably because of Auron. It wasn't that their guardian was playing peacemaker, it was the fact that Jecht had been his partner as a detective and he couldn't stand the man at first. Jecht was bold, brash and obnoxious in Auron's eyes and the two had fought constantly. She remembered one time when she had been at Tidus's house; Jecht had come walking in sporting a black eye. Auron stood behind him rubbing his fist. Tidus had cracked up laughing which had won him a glare from his father. 

Yuna smiled at the memory, leaning back against the counter, holding the steaming mug before her. Now what was to become of them? How was Tidus handling it? What was Auron going to do about it? He may not very well be a detective anymore, but he was still involved, Sin would make sure of that. What could she do to help? She walked towards the den; she might as well ask him. 

Auron was sitting on the couch, a stack of papers on his lap, a pen in his right hand and a mug of coffee in his left. His mind wasn't on the papers, though. Yuna saw that he was staring off into space. He didn't even seem to notice as she entered the room. She studied him a moment. This was her only chance to learn how her guardian was feeling about the situation. He was sitting very rigidly, his back stock straight. His eye was boring a hole in the wall behind Yuna's right shoulder. Lines crossed his forehead and his brow was furrowed in thought. 

"Auron?" she finally called out. She did so softly so not to startle him. She failed, though. He jumped and then finally rested his eye on her. 

She shifted under his gaze, almost feeling guilty for watching him in his unguarded state. His usual calm mask had returned and he looked at her with an almost blank expression. "Umm, are you ok?" she stuttered, hesitant to ask the questions that were plaguing her. Some had already been answered in her study of him. 

A twitch of an eyebrow and a small smile. "Just tired," he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb.

The smile comforted her. She returned it graciously, deciding to wait until later to ask her questions. "You should get some rest," she said, using the gentle voice her mother had used when she was a small girl. 

Auron took a sip of his coffee then spoke: "In a moment." He glanced back down at the papers on his lap. Yuna guessed they were the papers her class had just turned in that Friday. Auron was always careful to return his students' work to them as soon as possible. _You will do this even with this situation_ _hanging over your head?_ she wanted to ask him. 

He looked at her suddenly. "What is it Yuna?" he asked, setting the pen down on his lap and meeting her eyes.

She quickly averted her gaze. "It's nothing," she stuttered softly, sitting in a cushy, leather chair by the kitchen door to hide her discomfort. 

She heard the rustle of paper and the sound of bare feet crossing the floor. A hand grabbed her chin and pulled her head up to meet his one brown eye. 

"You want to ask me something. Out with it," Auron's rough, deep voice commanded.

Yuna pulled her face out of his grasp and stared down at her tea. It had gotten cold a long time ago. "It's really nothing," she said, her voice unconvincing even in her own ears. 

Auron stood. "Get some rest then, you have church tomorrow."

Yuna looked up at him. He had his back turned to her. "Would you like to come?" she asked, glad that the conversation had turned. 

He stiffened and she saw his head lower. "No. Thank you," he said slowly, walking back to the couch.

Yuna had been inviting Auron to church for as long as she could remember. Every time he refused. She often wondered what had happened to cause this. "Why do you not like church?" she asked, shocked at the fact that the question had slipped from her thoughts to her voice. 

Auron sat on the couch and picked up the papers again. He didn't look at her. "Go to bed, Yuna." 

Yuna sighed. She looked at him briefly. _You tell me to ask you the questions burning inside me, yet you refuse to answer a simple question about church._ She walked into the kitchen and slid her mug into the sink. With that done she slipped into the guest bedroom at the back of the apartment to a sleep that wouldn't come. 

* * *

Auron sighed and set the papers to the side. Yuna was probably right. He should go to bed. The words on the pages were starting to blur. 

He stood up and walked to the kitchen, depositing his coffee cup in the sink, the glass side clinking against Yuna's mug. What was he going to do with those two? Sin was getting more aggressive and he knew he wouldn't be able to protect them forever. He gripped the countertop, trying to control his emotions. 

Suddenly the phone rang. Auron jumped slightly and picked it up. 

"Hello?" he said softly, not wanting to wake Yuna. 

"Auron?" a cheerful voice asked on the other end. 

"Kinoc, why are you calling me at 4:00 in the morning?" Auron growled, leaning back against the countertop. 

Kinoc gave a small laugh. "It's not 4:00 it's 3:30."

Auron rolled his eye. "What do you want?"

Kinoc sighed. "Always in a hurry. Is your phone line secure? Is it safe that we talk on it?"

Auron lifted an eyebrow. "Let me call you back," he said, his voice sounding casual. He hung up the phone before Kinoc could answer. 

__

Damn it. 

Auron walked back to the den to retrieve his cell phone. The small black phone was sitting on his computer desk next to his keyboard. He punched in Kinoc's number and waited for a response. 

"Auron, thank God you got that cell phone," Kinoc answered. 

"Hmm," Auron replied, sitting down on the couch. 

"I did a search on Seymour and found all sorts of interesting things, including some things I think even you did not know." Kinoc's voice was filled with a mixture of excitement and worry.

Auron's eye narrowed. "Go on."

There was the sound of paper rustling. "Here's an interesting article I found: 'Seymour Hitowari got his PhD in Genetic Engineering at Baaj University. After he got his degree, Seymour began work on a very strange project that he tried to get approved by the university. It wasn't accepted though. That project's goal was the reanimation of corpses. I must emphasize the fact that this isn't the bringing back of the dead. The idea is very similar to that of Dr. Frankenstein from the Mary Shelley's novel...'"

"Kinoc. I already know this. What else do you have?" Auron asked impatiently.

There was more rustling of paper and then Kinoc took up reading again: "A few years after Seymour was rejected by Baaj University he inherited a fortune of money. With that money he bought Bevelle Academy. He claimed that he bought the school so that he could make up for the mistake that he made in attempting to bring back the dead."

Auron scratched his chin. "Interesting."

"What?" Kinoc sounded confused.

"Did you get all of this information from the same source?" 

Auron heard more shuffling of paper. "Yes. What I just read you and what I read earlier came from the same site," Kinoc said slowly, as if he were considering this. 

Auron didn't give him time. "In the first part that you read the author emphasized the fact that Seymour wasn't attempting to bring the dead back, just reanimating the corpse, but in the second one the author said that Seymour was making amends for trying to bring back the dead. What site did you get this off of?"

Kinoc hesitated. "It was probably just a mistake, but you can check the site out at medicalbios.com."

"Hmm," Auron muttered as he turned on his computer. Once it had booted up he connected to the internet and typed in the address. After a short wait a site with a white background and the title Medical Bios in red at the top popped up. Auron spotted a place to type in a search and entered Seymour's name. Two links popped up on the page. "Kinoc, there are two links, which one did you get the story from?"

"Hang on, let me get back on the site," Kinoc replied.

Auron wasn't about to wait. He clicked on the first link and glanced over the page. It had a black background and at the top in white was Seymour's name. Beneath that was a picture of the man. He had platinum blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. Slightly slanted blue eyes that seemed to hold a perpetual sneer glared out of the page. 

Auron scrolled down and skimmed the article. In the background on the phone he heard Kinoc begin typing. This wasn't the article that Kinoc had read out loud. It contained only basic information; most of which he already knew. He backed up and clicked on the second link.

"Auron, it's the second link. The first one is a waste of time," Kinoc said, sounding slightly distracted.

Auron smirked and scanned the article from the second link, this time ignoring the picture at the top of the page. He skimmed the first paragraph since it was one of the things that Kinoc had already read. The middle of the article was the basic information that he had found in the previous one, but the last few paragraphs had some interesting information. One of them was the other paragraph that Kinoc had read, but the other two held information that could prove useful. 

"Kinoc, who wrote this article?" Auron asked, as he hit the print button. 

"Didn't it say on the page?"

"No." Impatience crept into his voice.

"Hmm, I don't know then. I found this site through one of our special search engines." Kinoc sounded thoughtful. "Let me check the beginning of the site to see if there is any information."

Auron stood. He needed another cup of coffee. His eye was burning with the strain of trying to stay awake. Why couldn't Kinoc have waited until the morning?

In the kitchen, Auron poured himself another mug of coffee, all the while listening to the sound of Kinoc's mouse clicks. The hot liquid revived him and he returned to his computer, waiting patiently for Kinoc to find the author or give up trying. He sipped at his coffee while he waited. The clock's ticking seemed to grow louder. He glanced at it for a moment. 

5:30AM 

Yuna would be getting up for church in less than three hours. He briefly wondered what she would think of finding him still up. His musings were interrupted by Kinoc's voice.

"Hmm, Auron, I don't see any author listings, but the site is sponsored by some company called Fayth Productions."

Auron's eye narrowed, but he remained silent. 

"Does the name sound familiar to you?" Kinoc questioned.

"No," he said shortly. "Do you have any other articles you found enlightening?"

There was some rustling of paper and then Kinoc spoke, his voice hinting at the fact that he didn't believe Auron was telling the truth: "I think that was the most information I could find on him that wasn't just telling the basics."

"Hm." Auron logged off the internet, stood, and walked over to the couch, dropped down on it. 

"What are you thinking?" Kinoc asked softly, which was odd for the man.

Auron noticed his tone and narrowed his eyes. "Can we talk about this later? It's 6:00 in the morning."

Auron heard Kinoc sigh. "Very well. I will talk to you later. Sorry for the late call."

"It's alright," Auron said, forcing a smile into his voice. "Get some rest."

Kinoc chuckled. "You too, though I doubt you'll get much."

"Hmph," Auron snorted.

* * *

Kinoc hung the phone up. "I must let them know," he muttered to himself as he headed to his room. He was really tired. 

__

Shit.

He couldn't go to bed yet because he had to file that report. He sighed. It looked like Auron wouldn't be the only sleepless person this night.

* * *

Auron walked back over to his computer and grabbed the printout of Seymour's bio. He glanced down at the pages and narrowed his eyes. Why hadn't Kinoc brought up the last two paragraphs? 

__

So, Fayth Productions is sponsoring Seymour to reanimate corpses and since they are sponsored by Sin, these corpses will be turned into an army. Auron stood and started to pace with the pages in his hand. _Jecht must be the test subject that they were referring to. _

Auron kicked the leg of the coffee table. "Damn it! Why did it have to be him?"

The sound of footsteps made Auron stand still. He had woken Yuna up. He couldn't believe that he was acting like Tidus.

"Auron?" Yuna's voice was rough from sleep. "What are you still doing up?"

Auron faced her. "Forgive me Yuna. I will be retiring soon."

Yuna smiled gently at him and returned to bed. Auron sighed. He glanced at his watch. It was about 6:30. He should probably go to bed and think on this in the morning. He could think better in the morning. 

Auron grabbed his coffee cup, turned the light off in the den, dropped the cup off in the sink and climbed the stairs to bed.


	3. Author's Note

Unfortunately this is not a chapter for Sin. I just wanted to let everyone who has been reading this story know that I have hit a wall with it. I am not sure when I will continue the story, but I am sure that I will continue it again sometime in the future. Until that happens, I was wondering if anyone would be interested in a story that I am currently working on that is quite different than anything I have ever done for Final Fantasy X. It is also a type of fic that most people shun on here or look down on. It is a self-insertion story. I started writing it out of mere curiosity as to how I would react if I got to Spira. It soon became a fun little project. 

I can promise you this: I don't make myself a god or anything in it. I am trying to keep all the characters in character as well as myself. I am terrified of heights, I can't swim, and I don't know how to use a sword. So in this story I have to learn to overcome all of those things. I start the story on Besaid beach and continue it all the way through. I am currently on Mi'ihen Highroad in my writing of it. I have about 16 chapters written so far. I just figured this might be a way to give you something of mine to read until I can get to working on Sin. 

I promise that this story will be funny, angsty, and interesting. I have yet to make major changes in the plot, but it is starting to happen where I am now. So if you are looking for a novelization of Final Fantasy X this story comes pretty close to it except that it is seen through my eyes and not Tidus's. I will warn you that it might not have perfect grammar and might be rough in a few areas. I no longer have an editor to look over my stories. If you are interested in Beta reading mine please email me. I can really use the help. 

If you would like to see this story on FF.net please either email me or leave a review and I will start posting it. Thank you to all of you who have read my stories and have been patient. Sorry to let you down on this one. 


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